For years, the Nissan Leaf was the best-selling EV in the world — then the Model 3 appeared on the scene. Still, Nissan has lots of EV experience and it’s transferring all that knowledge into the 2023 Nissan Ariya SUV. With a starting price of around $40,000, the electric vehicle is expected to land in US showrooms this fall.

Ahead of that, we had a chance to drive the latest Nissan EV on a track in Spain. The automaker set up various portions of the track to recreate different driving conditions. The result isn't as good as a real-world drive, but we did get a good feeling of how the vehicle drives and got a chance to check out its very nice interior. Watch the video above for the full story.

Maserati is already following the reveal of an electric GranTurismo with another, decidedly more practical model. The trident badge has introduced its first electric SUV, a Folgore edition of its upcoming Grecale crossover. While the company didn't share many technical details, it promised a familiar 400-volt architecture (not like the speedier 800V of the Porsche Taycan or Hyundai Ioniq 5) and previously indicated it wouldn't share a platform with other Stellantis EVs. The Vergenotes Maserati will instead use a modified take on the platform from Alfa Romeo's Stelvio SUV.

The in-cabin tech also represents an upgrade for Maserati. The Grecale Folgore and its siblings will include a digital instrument cluster (a first for the brand), a 12.3-inch main center screen and an 8.8-inch sub-screen for extra controls. Passengers will have their own touchscreen, too. You can also expect a 3D sound system with 14 speakers standard and 21 available as an upgrade.

The Grecale Folgore is due in 2023 alongside two "mild hybrid" variants, the 300HP GT and 330HP Modena, as well as a gas-only Trofeo with the 530HP V6 from the MC20. The price of the Folgore wasn't available, but the GT will start the line at $63,500.

This and the GranTurismo aren't Maserati's only EVs. The automaker also plans electric versions of all its models by 2025, including the GranCabriolet convertible, Levante SUV, MC20 Spyder sports car and Quattroporte sedan. While Maserati won't completely drop combustion engines until 2030, the marque's role is clear — it's becoming the vanguard for Stellantis' upscale EV efforts.

With its newly minted bi-directional charging capabilities, the Ford F-150 Lightning can now serve as a backup home power supply in a pinch. Soon, the automaker hopes it might do the same for your office space thanks to a new partnership with Cisco, makers of Webex conference software.

Ford CEO Jim Farley announced on Tuesday, “We’re going all in, creating separate but complementary businesses that give us start-up speed and unbridled innovation.” So far that effort has seen the company announce in recent months plans to separate its EV and ICE businesses, produce in excess of 600,000 EVs annually by in 2023, and introduce seven new EV models to the European market in the next few years. 

And what better way for Ford to fully capture the hearts and minds of the American driving public than to outfit their electric vehicles with the internet's most popular pastime since March 2020, online conference calling? “We’re looking at ways to bring the human connection in," Darren Palmer, Vice President, Ford Electric Vehicle Programs, said in a press statement. "We don’t see why people wouldn’t be using their vehicles as a fantastic quality office, to be able to collaborate together.”  

To that end, Ford and Cisco have partnered to "unlock the browser experience on SYNC4A," the automaker's infotainment system, and are currently developing a WebEx app capable of running natively on the HTML 5-centric OS. “Ford is excited to be collaborating with Webex by Cisco for next-gen experiences in our electric vehicles,” Palmer continued. “We see Webex as providing a secure and immersive collaboration experience.”

Your cat jumping in front of the webcam can be quite cute when you're conference calling from home. Your kids loudly melting down in the back seat about who may or may not be touching whom is decidedly less adorable. To help prevent those high-decibel interruptions, future Ford EVs will be outfitted with Webex's Optimize for My Voice feature which automatically mutes out everybody in the cabin who isn't part of the meeting. To further minimize distractions to the driver, “We’ll make sure that any collaboration like Webex is deployed only when the vehicle is stationary, or audio-only when driving," Palmer said. The companies did not disclose a timeline for the application's eventual release.

Tesla has delivered the first 30 Model Y cars manufactured at its $5.5 billion Grenheide, Germany Gigafactory that officially opened today, Reuters has reported. "Excited to hand over the first production cars made by Giga Berlin-Brandenburg tomorrow!" tweeted Tesla CEO Elon Musk yesterday. 

The event, delayed from last year due to environmental and other complaints, is being attended by German Chancellor Olaf Scholtz. "Some people didn't trust Germany could do this," regional finance minister Joerg Steinbach told RBB radio yesterday. "We showed the world."

Tesla came close to losing its water supply contracts following a complaint by local environmental groups. It addressed them by promising to minimize water usage, and also said it would plant more trees than it removed during construction. 

The company received final approval to start production on March 4th. Steinbach said that there was currently enough water for the plant, but added that Tesla will have to tap additional sources a longer distance away for any expansion. 

Tesla plans to produce 5,000 to 10,000 vehicles per week by the end of 2022, and the plant will eventually have a production capacity of 500,000 vehicles per year and 50 gigawatt hours (GWh) of battery power, more than any other German factory. Volkswagen produced around 450,000 EVs globally last year, and is planning a €2 billion EV plant in Wolfsburg that's set to open in 2026.

Chosen buyers will receive the €63,990 ($70,370) Model Y Performance EV with 320 miles of range. Tesla has released several stories marking the occasion, showing several shots of the Gigafactory's interior and exterior. 

It's all too common for electric vehicle makers to delay releases, but GM claims it's bucking the trend. The company says it has started production of the Cadillac Lyriq at its Spring Hill, Tennessee plant about nine months ahead of the initial schedule. GM didn't say how many of the sold-out reservations for the luxury crossover translated to real purchases, but it will take more orders for the Lyriq starting May 19th. The EV is due to reach dealers in the first half of the year.

The Lyric is Cadillac's first EV, and the first passenger vehicle to use GM's Ultium platform beyond the Hummer EV. It won't be as brawny as the Hummer with its estimate 340HP motor system, but it's expected to net 300-plus miles of range and 190kW fast charging at compatible stations. You can also anticipate plenty of tech, including a 33-inch OLED screen and Super Cruise hands-free highway driving. More importantly, the Lyriq will start at $59,990 — still not cheap, but it's far more affordable than the $79,995 minimum you'll pay for the Hummer.

The Lyriq doesn't quite represent the next generation of mainstream GM EVs. For that, you'll have to wait until Chevy's electric Silverado ($39,900) and Equinox (roughly $30,000). It does serve as a bridge between the Hummer and more affordable models, though, and it's certainly easier to justify for those that don't need the Hummer's off-roading abilities.

Porsche is today updating the world on its financial results and, by extension, its plans to remain relevant in a world that’s clearly not going to survive climate change. The German luxury brand said that it had seen sales leap by €4.4 billion (around $4.8 billion) and plenty of interest in its models. For the third year running, Porsche's pure-EV Taycan line managed to outsell the iconic 911, with 41,296 units of the electric ride out the door, while the flagship managed 38,464 units. To Mother Nature’s chagrin, however, both were outsold by the Macan and Cayenne SUVs, which sold around 171,433 units between them.

The company has said that it wants 80 percent of its sales to be “all-electric” by 2030, with an additional plan to be carbon-neutral at the same time. Part of that push will be led by a new version of the mid-engine 718, which will be released “exclusively in an all-electric form” at some point around 2025. Of course, it won’t be until we get an entirely electric 911 and Cayenne that we’ll see the real extent of Porsche’s commitment. But hopefully the baby steps so far will translate into much faster action the closer we get to the end of this decade.

Porsche has also announced that it will invest in “premium charging stations” and “its own charging infrastructure.” The company has experience in this area, after launching a high-profile charging station in Leipzig, but this is likely to be a neat euphemism for taking a leaf out of Tesla’s book, launching or franchising a wide network of own-brand EV stops explicitly designed to cater for its own customers. It’s something that (stablemate) Audi has also spoken about doing, and showed off a concept for an Audi-only, premium charging hub last year. The company added that it is looking to get new, high-performance battery cells from Cellforce which are due to begin shipping in 2024.

Maserati announced on Thursday that it will offer electric versions of its entire vehicle lineup by 2025 and is starting its efforts off with the GranTurismo EV, a 1,200 HP roadster slated for release next year. 

Stellantis

The GranTurismo “Folgore” will be the first entry into Maserati's new line of electric vehicles. Its thousand-plus horses will translate into a limitered top speed of 190 MPH and a sub-3-second 0-60. It will be joined by an electrified version of the new Grecale SUV and Grancabrio GT in 2023 followed by EV variants of the MC20, the Quattroporte and the Levante SUV by 2025. The company also announced its intention to halt production of internal combustion vehicles and go fully electric by 2030. 

The company, a subsidiary of the Stellantis Group, did not elaborate on the expected MSRPs for the upcoming vehicles, but given Maserati's current offerings, interested buyers will likely be looking to pay anywhere from the high five-figures to the mid-sixes.   

Tesla has raised the prices of its electric vehicles for the second time within the month. After adding $1,000 to some long-range models last week, the automaker has now implemented a much larger price increase across its lineup. As Electrek reports, its prices now start at $46,990 for the base Model 3, $2,000 higher than before. The Model 3 Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive is now $2,500 more expensive at $54,490, and the Performance version now costs $3,000 more at $61,990.

Tesla

Meanwhile, Model Y's prices now start at $62,990, or $2,000 higher than before, for the Long Range version. Tesla has increased the Performance version's pricing by $3,000, as well, which means it'll now set you back $67,990. For both Model S options, Tesla has added $5,000 on top of their previous prices, so you'll have to spend at least $99,990 for one. None of the other EVs got a price increase as big as the Model X, though, which now costs $10,000 more at $114,990.

Although Tesla has quietly raised prices overnight, the move didn't come out of left field. On Twitter, company chief Elon Musk hinted at the possibility of a price hike. He said both Tesla and SpaceX are seeing "significant recent inflation pressure in raw materials [and] logistics." He didn't elaborate, but he linked to an article about commodity prices soaring due to fears over the shortage of raw materials that Russia exports. 

One of the materials affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine is nickel, with its prices soaring and more than doubling since the war started. Russia is a key supplier of the metal, which is a critical component of lithium-ion batteries used by Tesla and other EV manufacturers. In addition, Electrek says Tesla is experiencing a massive surge in new orders due to heightened interest in electric vehicles caused by the rise in gas prices.

Ford is quickly making good on its promise to go all-electric in Europe. The company now plans to introduce seven new EVs in Europe by 2024. The lineup will focus on crossovers, including an electric version of the compact Puma as well as a five-seat "medium-size" and "sport" models. You can also expect new editions of the Transit and Tourneo vans, including smaller Courier trims as well as Custom models.

The medium crossover will be the first mass-produced passenger EV from Ford's new Cologne facility and will include five seats and a claimed 310-mile range. Ford will formally reveal the vehicle later this year and start production in 2023.

The Transit Custom and Tourneo Custom are also slated to arrive in 2023, while the Puma, the sport crossover, the Transit Courier and the Tourneo Courier are due in 2024. The Mustang Mach-E and E-Transit are already part of Ford's European lineup. Ford hopes to move to an all-EV passenger range in Europe by 2030, and to completely eliminate gas and diesel from its stable by 2035.

This still leaves much of Ford's lineup dependent on combustion engines, and we wouldn't expect most (if any) of the roster to reach the US — the Puma hasn't ever been sold in the country, for instance. However, the strategy isn't surprising. Ford says the Puma is its best-selling passenger vehicle in Europe, and vans like the Transit are very common among European businesses. This roadmap fully electrifies some of Ford's best-known models in the continent, and even the completely new crossovers will tackle popular segments. Ford clearly wants its EVs to be seen as mainstream models, not to mention compete against the VW ID.Buzz (which will come in a Europe-focused cargo variant) and other rivals.

With no end in sight to the global semiconductor shortage, Ford will temporarily offer some Explorer SUVs without the electronics necessary to access the car’s heating and air conditioning controls from the rear passenger seats. Following a report from Automotive News, a Ford spokesperson shared confirmation of the plan with The Verge on Sunday, telling the outlet the move is an effort on the automaker’s part to get those cars to customers faster.

They added Ford would offer those SUVs at a discount and noted they will still come with functioning front-seat climate controls. The automaker reportedly plans to ship the missing chips to dealers within a year, at which point owners of those models will need to bring their cars in for installation.

Ford won’t be the first automaker to ship a car without parts in response to the chip shortage. Last year, some Tesla Model 3 and Model Y buyers got cars with missing USB-C ports. BMW, meanwhile, removed touchscreen controls on some of its vehicles, including X5 and Z4 models, to cope with the shortages.